Faculty Member Wants to See the World While Helping Others

Kirk Widra’s goal is to see the world, while helping people at the same time.

Widra, who teaches graphic design in the Youth and Continuing Education programs at Moore, will travel to Morocco next month to teach underprivileged children computer technology with the help of International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), an organization which provides volunteer travelers with quality and highly affordable volunteer placements in developing countries.

Widra has traveled to the island of Malta, Haiti, The Dominican Republic and all over Northern Europe, giving lectures on topics related to education technology. It was while in Haiti that he realized he wanted to devote more time to volunteer work. .

“My biggest decision there was whether to eat sushi or a gourmet meal at my five-star resort while their [the people who lived there] biggest decision was whether they were going to eat at all or how they were going to eat,” he said.

This inspired Widra to get his master’s degree in educational leadership from Argosy University in Pittsburgh.

Although the Moroccan government is working hard to improve literacy and promote professional development, a large percentage of Moroccan children and teenagers are not given the chance to acquire marketable skills, Widra said. As a volunteer, he will work with these children, providing training in English and information technology. He will be there for two months and will live with a host family.

“Growing up I never realized how lucky I had it. Travel has allowed me to see just how important education is because the world is getting smaller and people need to know how to contribute to the conversation and that’s through technology and education,” he said. “It’s my way of contributing. And I always like to check out different cultures.”

When he’s not teaching or traveling, Widra runs his own freelance graphic design and marketing consulting firm in Philadelphia. With over 15 years experience, he specializes in brand development and multi-platform marketing strategies.